


In Which Mako and Wu Adopt Fourteen Orphans

by jorlau



Series: In Which Korrasami is Canon [3]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Queer Character, Canon Queer Character of Color, Canon Queer Relationship, F/F, Genderqueer Character, M/M, Queer fictional history
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 13:59:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2853341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jorlau/pseuds/jorlau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mako discovers that it doesn't matter how determined you are to make sure your kids have sensible names, they're bound to thwart you. He also learns the value of representation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Which Mako and Wu Adopt Fourteen Orphans

“You're joking,” Korra said. “Fourteen, really?”

“It's not quite as bad as it sounds,” Bolin waved his hands defensively. “They've still got all our family around, and a lot of them are helping out.”

“That's still, I mean,” Korra protested. “We were gone for less than a month, and they've gone from having no kids to having fourteen? Wu's not a bad guy, but he's not exactly what I'd call father material, and I don't see Mako adjusting to anything that fast.”

“It is kind of chaotic over there,” Opal told her. “I think it's getting better now they've got the sleeping arrangements sorted out and have most of the big shopping trips done. I didn't think Wu would survive taking them all out to buy new clothes at once, but from what I've heard, the police weren't even called in.”

“Actually, that's because they were already there,” Bolin said. “Mako warned Beifong about it and she sent a police escort.”

“That does it, I'm going to go visit them,” Asami announced, standing up. “I have got to see how they're holding up.”

“Uh, maybe better call ahead?” Korra suggested with an unusual level of tact. “I know they're technically in your house, but if it's that chaotic there....”

“If I call, they might feel like they have to hide the evidence before I get there,” Asami pointed out. “No, I'll just go.”

Korra shrugged and stood in turn. “In that case I'd better go with you. Could be a hazardous situation.”

Asami smirked at her. “For me, or for them?”

“No idea,” Korra grinned. “Come on, do you really think I'm going to miss seeing how those two react to you arriving unexpectedly on top of everything else they're going through?”

 

“WU!”

The artist formerly known as Prince Wu looked up from where he was sprawling on the floor, attempting to read an old Earth Kingdom fairy tale to six rampaging children, as Mako stormed through the door, carrying a grumpy-looking, thoroughly grimy five-year-old.

“What's the matter, Mako?” Wu inquired. “We're in the middle of storytime here. It's one of my favorites!”

“You were supposed to be keeping an eye on Shen, too,” Mako snapped. “I found her trying to climb up the chimney.”

“Shen, why did you do that?” Wu asked, in what he probably thought was a gentle but stern tone. “You could have gotten stuck or knocked something down on yourself or something! I thought you were playing with your moose-lions!” Wu's reliance on amusing stuffed toys to keep small children wholly occupied was already infuriating Mako far too often; the police officer thought grimly that they would have to have a serious talk about it.

It was at this moment that one of Mako's numerous relatives arrived, slightly panicked, escorting Asami Sato and Avatar Korra. The rioting youngsters looked up, briefly interested, and Shen took advantage of the distraction afforded by the new arrivals to wriggle out of Mako's hold and join her foster-siblings' game.

“Asami! Korra!” Mako looked quickly from one to the other. “I didn't know you were back from the Spirit World. Uh, sorry about the mess–“

“Hi, Mako, hi, Wu,” Asami cut him off. “Yeah, we got back last night and we're making the rounds to see everyone today. Heard some interesting stuff about you from Bolin and Opal.”

Mako grimaced. “Bolin talks too much.”

Korra laughed. “It wasn't that bad. Actually, he seemed very proud of you.”

“I haven't done anything for him to be proud of,” Mako grumbled.

“You're doing a great job, Mako!” Wu protested from his prone position. “He's just too fussy,” he added to the women in a confiding tone.

“I am not fussy!” Mako growled.

“You are,” said a cheerful voice, and a head, belonging to a scrawny child of about ten, poked around an ornamental screen in the corner. “That's what I like about you.”

Korra snickered uncontrollably; Asami's face was suspiciously wooden. Mako blinked in befuddlement. “Um... thanks?”

“You're welcome,” the child said, and disappeared around the screen again.

At this point, a gong sounded somewhere in the house. The effect was instantaneous; every child in the room leaped up and raced out of the room, Wu only slightly behind them. Mako looked apologetically at his guests.

“Lunch,” he explained. “Do you want to join us? It's going to be hard to talk, but you'd be welcome.”

“Sounds good,” said Korra quickly.

When they were seated at one of three long tables set out in the dining room, Mako attempted to introduce them to, or at least point out, all of the fourteen children. (Only thirteen were present; the fourteenth was eventually located in another part of the house altogether, nose in a book, by a frantic Mako.) The children ranged in age from two to sixteen years, and were a motley from all over the Earth Republic; two were firebenders, seven earthbenders, and one a waterbender. Five of them were named Lee; Mako reluctantly explained that the lanky sixteen-year-old firebender with the shy smile was Tall Lee, the timid three-year-old who called everyone “Mama” in a pathetic tone as though hoping someone would eventually tell him he was right was Little Lee, the seven-year-old non-bender from the far northern end of the Earth Republic was naturally Northern Lee, the twelve-year-old earthbender with the fierce temper was Girl Lee, and then there was the other Lee, who was also twelve and an earthbender but was painfully shy.

Korra and Asami each caught only a handful of the other names, but they both noted the restrained pride in Mako's voice as he recited them. He might be fussy and overwhelmed, but he was adapting, and he had evidently already learned to love the new members of his family. Seated with two toddlers on his lap, listening patiently to Northern Lee chattering eagerly about the game he had invented earlier and trying unsuccessfully to keep Shen from covering herself in fruit juice, Mako looked somehow more relaxed than either of his ex-girlfriends had ever seen him.

 

Returning from vacation meant that life was hectic for Korra and Asami both, and it was over a month before they had the opportunity to visit Mako and Wu again, but after that, they became semi-regular guests. Sometimes they went with Bolin and Opal, or occasionally with only Bolin, and once they were accompanied by the airbender children, but most often it was only the two of them. They were enthusiastically received by the youngest children, who soon learned that Korra was a splendid playmate and that Asami would listen with apparent interest to whatever they wanted to share. The older children's reactions were more mixed; ten-year-old Ming's family had evidently blamed the Avatar for the destruction that had ultimately left her orphaned, and so Ming was at first standoffish, while the others viewed Korra with varying levels of admiration and were shy with her. Asami was generally regarded with an uncertain awe, which Korra insisted was because Asami was stunningly beautiful (Asami thought it was probably because she was dating the Avatar). Still, they were welcomed, and enjoyed the wild company immensely.

It was a visit with Bolin when the subject of past Avatars came up for the first time. Mako had been completely unaware of Asami's extensive knowledge on the topic, and was rapidly overwhelmed by the flood of factoids that she released. (Korra and Wu both found this amusing, and subtly egged Asami on.) Several of the older children who happened to be in the room at the time listened with varying levels of interest; Ming looked completely engrossed, and even Tall Lee, who often acted aloof, was paying close attention.

“Can I ask a question?” Tall Lee eventually said, in a lull in which Mako attempted to absorb the political history that meant that while Avatar Po had invented a primitive form of radio, the technology had been lost again for hundreds of years.

“Sure, Lee, what do you want to know?” Asami good-naturedly shifted her full attention to the boy, who shuffled his feet awkwardly.

“I, uh, I read something about Avatar Huang recently, and I was wondering if you could tell me more,” Tall Lee stammered, carefully not making eye contact.

“Asami knows all about Avatar Huang,” Korra said, her proud grin not entirely masking the look of shocked comprehension that had spread across her features at the mention of the genderless Avatar's name.

“Huang is my second-favorite Avatar,” Asami told Tall Lee.

“I'd better be your favorite, or you are in serious trouble,” Korra cut in, frowning with mock severity.

“Of course you're my favorite, dear,” Asami said, condescension dripping from her voice as she patted the Avatar's head. “Now be quiet. As I was saying, Lee, Avatar Huang was a really interesting person. You know they were genderless, I guess–“

“What's that?” the Lee who had no nickname asked.

“Uh, not a boy or a girl. Inside, I mean,” Asami explained, gesturing vaguely in the vicinity of her heart.

“That's a thing?” the child's voice was so hopeful that even Little Lee, playing with a toy car (designed especially for him by Asami, who was really trying to make friends with him) under Korra's chair, looked up. The other Lee looked ready to sink through the floor in embarrassment.

“Definitely a thing. I've known two or three people like Huang myself,” Asami said reassuringly.

The expression dawning on the twelve-year-old's face reminded the adults of the opening of the new Spirit World portal.

 

A couple of weeks later, Wu and a very reluctant Mako allowed Bolin to babysit the horde of children and met Korra and Asami for dinner. It felt weird, Asami commented, to not have any children with them, but it was nice to be able to talk quietly and still be heard.

“Oh, yeah, I thought you might like to know, the Lee that – you can probably guess which Lee – is asking us to call them Huang, now.” Mako told her. “They've really gotten a lot more confident since your last visit. It's amazing.”

“That's wonderful,” Asami smiled warmly. “I'm really glad Tall Lee asked about Huang, then.”

“Actually...” Wu hesitated, looking at Mako. “Uh, Mako, don't get mad at me or anything, but Tall Lee pulled me aside today before I left and told me he wants to change his name too....”

“Why would I get mad at you because he wants to change his name?” Mako demanded, puzzled.

“He told me he was named for his father, and his father was kind of terrible, and so he wanted to take a name that would honor somebody he considered inspirational, somebody who had made a difference in his life....”

“So?” Mako frowned. “What's wrong with that?”

“Well... you know he came from Wao originally?”

“Oh dear,” said Asami. “Is he going to be called Wao-Is-True-Love or something like that?”

“Korrasami-Forever,” said Wu, and shut his eyes tightly.

“WHAT?” said Korra, Asami, and Mako together.

“I didn't have anything to do with it, I swear!” Wu waved his hands in a pacifying gesture.

“You're joking, right?” Korra stared at him. “You're not joking?”

“He says we can call him Forever for short.” Wu said.

“Okay,” said Mako, his voice grim. “First off, you two?” He gestured to Korra and Asami. “You aren't allowed to break up now. Not ever.”

“Fine by me,” said Asami cheekily.

“Second, Wu?” Mako began, turning to the former prince.

“I know,” Wu said softly. “If we're going to be parents to these kids, or really responsible older brother figures I guess since we're both really too young to be their parents, we have to be honest, to them at least.”

Korra looked from Wu to Mako and back, her eyes wide. “Wait, you two are... you're together?”

“You are so adorably clueless sometimes,” Asami told Korra, kissing her on the nose. “Good luck, guys.”

“Thanks,” said Mako. “I think we've already got it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to look at the impact in-universe of Korra and Asami's relationship on other queer people, and I wanted to get a look at Wu and Mako as foster-parents. If you read this in series, it's safe to assume that Tall Lee – I beg his pardon, Korrasami-Forever – read the interview with Korra and Asami in the premiere queer magazine Bent.


End file.
